It didn't get much chummier in elementary school, where boys had cooties and girls were gross.

In middle school, Tim was bratty, loud and a little narcissistic.

"You could never get a girlfriend," Lauren told this strange boy.

"Why don't you just shut up?" Tim snapped back.

Progress! But alas, more silent years passed.

Then in high school, they clicked. At last.

"I don't know what it was. Maybe the hormones!" Lauren says.

They were smitten. But at 15, you don't admit it.

When Tim shipped off to the University of Central Florida to study animation, they gave in and started dating. Then it came time for Lauren to apply for school. She picked UCF. Tim was there — and it offered a great biology program.

After college, Tim landed a dream gig at DreamWorks, the film powerhouse that created Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, which moved them to Glendale, Calif., just outside of Los Angeles.

About four years after their move, Tim took Lauren to the Hollywood Reservoir, with its sterling view of the famous Hollywood sign. Nestled away in one of L.A.'s quieter spots, he proposed. For added drama, he told her they would be traveling to Alaska in just two days.

Lauren and Tim married in Mammoth Lake, Calif. They rented a ski lift for all their guests to ride up and down the mountains, the gorgeous backdrop to their outside wedding.

The little girl who once said Tim could never get a girlfriend turned out to be his wife.

Sabrina Rocco can be reached at srocco@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8862.